Look who’s on the Basilian’s sexual misconduct review board

Out a good part of the day.  Nice day.  Came home and decided to get on the computer to google  “Hod Marshall.”

Success 🙂

I came up with a few interesting bits and pieces about “alleged” clerical molester Father William Hodgson Marshall (Hod Marshall), some definitely more interesting than others.

First, according to media reports there has already been legal action related to allegations of sexual abuse against Father Hod Marshall.  In 2002 an “alleged” victim won a $10,000+ award for damages suffered at the hands of Marshall in the late 60s and early 70s when Marshall was teaching at St. Charles College in Sudbury.   The damages were awarded by small claims court.  Marshall did not file a defence.

While I think about it, I also want to add here that I am hard pressed to understand how it is that Father Rosica, a Basilian, never heard a boo about the Marshall sex abuse allegations until now.  Did not a Basilian soul whisper a single  boo to another when the damages were awarded?

Strange indeed.

No matter.  On to the bits and pieces

(1)  Early 50s in Toronto

Was Hod Marshall teaching at St. Michael’s College in the early 50’s?   It looks remotely  possible that he was, and, if not, seem he was certainly busy selling basketball to young lads in Toronto Catholic Schools in the early 50s, and he was apparently himself a 1942 grad of St. Michael’s.

Look at this.  In the Blue Banner  St Michael’s College School Alumni Magazine ( Fall 2008), a Ted Schmidt writes:

 In 1950 a brand new gym appeared — right at the beginning of the television age. As kids on Sundays we watched the great Nortown TriBells with stars like Freddy Thomas and Johnny Brathwaite cavort in the best gym in the city. On Saturday mornings, Fr. Hod Marshall, C.S.B. ’42 helped organize programs for Catholic kids in the parochial schools. Basketball was ready to get big.

(2)  Basketball Championship Records

http://www.rainbowschools.ca/sdssaa/pages/bbbchamprecs.htm

Hod Marshall is listed as Coach of the championship team for the following years

1962:  Hod Marshall Coach of St. Charles College Midget basketball team, Sudbury, Ontario

1963 & 64:  Hod Marshall  Coach of Senior Division I St Charles College Cardinals, Sudbury Ontario

(3)  Knights of Columbus and how Windsor’s Holy Names Catholic School basketball team became “Knights”

Seems Father Marshall was an active member of the Knights of Columbus.   And seems that in return for his council’s generosity Marshall decided that all  Holy Names basketball teams and clubs would be known as the Knights.

From Holy Names Catholic  Secondary School Student Handbook 2009 – 2010

HOW WE BECAME KNIGHTS

Our founding principal, Fr. Hod Marshall, was a member/brother of the Knights of Columbus Holy Family Council 4386 in South Windsor. He attended monthly meetings at the K of C and constantly reminded the members of the importance of Catholic Education. Fr. Hod had a vision of establishing a Catholic High school in South Windsor. In 1985 when Holy Names High School opened at the former St. Hubert’s School on California Ave., the K of C presented Fr. Hod Marshall and students with a cheque for the purchase of their first set of basketball jerseys. Fr. Marshall then announced that all teams and clubs would be known as the Holy Names Knights.

A question I must pose here:

Did Father William Hodgson Marshall aka Hod Marshall continue his active involvement with the KOC?  If yes, he would without doubt have known Bishop Eugene Larocque quite well.  Larocque was extremely active with the KOC: in 1977 he became State Chaplain for the Ontario Knights; in 1979 he became Bishop “ponens” for the Knights of Columbus in Canada KOC as of 1976.

(4)  Principal at Holy Name in Windsor 1985-1989 

As does the Student Handbook referenced above, the 2009-2010 Course Calendar for Holy Names High School gives Father Hod Marshall honourable mention under the same title,  “How we became Knights.”  The calendar also notes that Father H Marshall was Principal at Holy Name from  1985-1989. 

(5)  Look who’s part of the Basilian sexual misconduct review board.

Father Hod Marshall is a Basilian priest, meaning he’s an ‘ordered’ priest, in this instance a priest with the  Congregation of St. Basil, also known as the Basilian Fathers.  The orders worldwide headquarters are now in Toronto at Cardinal Flahiff Basilian Centre. The centre is on the campus of St. Michael’s college.  The priest’s retirement home is there as well.

Now, just take a look at who’s on the Basilian’s sexual misconduct review board….

Father Brian D Clough.

Yes, the same Father Brian Clough who was, once upon a time, Rector of St. Augustine’s Seminary.  The same Father Brian Clough who was given the boot during the 1985 seminary purge.  In fact, it was after he got the boot that Clough headed off across the boarder to attain his canon law credentials at America U.  And, here he is, the booted rector who let the moral standards of a seminary slide into the gutter is now advising the Basilians on clerical sexual misconduct!:

The following from the website http://www.basilian.org/News_and_Info/Community_Documents/sexual_abuse_en.php

The Congregation of St. Basil (Basilian Fathers) has written policies and procedures governing issues of sexual misconduct of its members.

The Basilian Review Board (RB) is an advisory group to the Superior General of the Congregation of St. Basil (Basilian Fathers).

Its mission is to assist the Congregation of St. Basil in ensuring the safety of children and vulnerable persons in their contact with members of the Congregation of St. Basil.

CURRENT MEMBERSHIP OF BASILIAN REVIEW BOARD: Dana Anderson, Ph.D.[Clinical Director, Tupiq program for Inuit sexual offenders, Gravenhurst, Ontario; Private Practioner, Barrie, Ontario], John P. Brown[Barrister, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Toronto], Fr. Brian D. Clough [Canon Lawyer with the Archdiocese of Toronto and Judicial Vicar for the Archdiocese of Toronto], Diane Doran, RN, Ph.D., F.C.A.H.S. [Lawrence S. Bloomberg Professor in Patient Safety, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto], Fr. David Katulski, CSB[Administrator of Cardinal Flahiff Basilian Centre, Toronto], Sr. Anne Marie Marrin, CSJ, BSW, MSW [Director, Outreach Program for Seniors, Sisters of St. Joseph, Fontbonne Ministries].

Questions or concerns regarding the past or present conduct of any Basilian should be referred to
Father Richard Wahl
Case Manager
4500 Memorial Drive
Houston, TX 77007
rwahl@basilian.org

713-341-5564              713-341-5564 

For a copy of the Misconduct Policy, please contact
Basilian Secretary General
Cardinal Flahiff Basilian Centre
95 St. Joseph Street
Toronto, ON M5S 3C2
416.921.6674         416.921.6674, ext. 207
dpn@basilian.org

Can you believe  it?

Why,I suppose, am I shocked?   I’ve seen and heard enough that nothing should shock me.  And for that matter I forever say that nothing would shock me.  But,  …I am shocked. I really and truly am. I will leave it at that.

Something which has been running through my mind as I was browsing the net looking for further info on “Father Hod.”  – I wonder if Justice Normand Glaude, a Sudbury born and bred boy,  attended St. Charles School in Sudbury?  If he did, was he there while Hod Marshall was there?  If yes, it would be interesting to hear his observations and recollections.

Anyway, that’s it for now.  I will incorporate this info into the data on the William Hodgson Marshall page.  Anyone who can offer more or unearths more please send it along, either by posting a comment or via an email .

Enough for now

Sylvia

(cornwall@theinquiry.ca)